Fairhaven police: Driver targeted nativity scene

There is little doubt that someone driving a truck or sport utility vehicle intentionally crashed into a nativity scene on a small town public space early Monday morning, police said.

BRIAN FRAGA

FAIRHAVEN — There is little doubt that someone driving a truck or sport utility vehicle intentionally crashed into a nativity scene on a small town public space early Monday morning, police said.

"They way they entered the square... They drove across it and hit the manger and nothing else," said Fairhaven Police Sgt. Kevin Kobza.

A newspaper delivery person driving by Benoit Square found the wreckage of a creche around 4:15 a.m. Monday, and contacted police, Kobza said.

Police believe the vandals destroyed the wooden creche, which contained figures of St. Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus, between 2:30 a.m. and 4 a.m. on Monday, Kobza said.

Tire tracks indicate that the suspect vehicle was traveling on Main Street when it jumped two curbs and drove head-on into the creche, dragging the wreckage to the Adams Street side of Benoit Square before taking off.

"They drove right at the manger and missed all the other decorations. In my opinion, this appears to have been intentional," said Kobza, adding that no witnesses have come forward with any information.

Volunteers from the North Fairhaven Improvement Association, which maintains and decorates Benoit Square for the holidays, repaired the creche on Monday afternoon.

"It's patched together, but it's standing," said Fred Raphael, a member of the North Fairhaven Improvement Association.

"It took three us of all afternoon to fix it," Raphael said.

"It was intentional. It actually looks like they lined (the vehicle) up to hit the manger. They jumped two curbs, one for the sidewalk and one for the square, and went right across it," Raphael said.

The other holiday decorations on the public square that were spared by the vandals included a Santa Claus, reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, carolers and various light displays.

A manger scene has adorned the holiday display at Benoit Square for several decades, said Raphael, who could not recall any recent vandalism, other than the baby Jesus being stolen six or seven years ago.

"It's back together and we're celebrating Christmas. That's the most important thing," Raphael said.

Kobza said after surveying the damage — Raphael described seeing pieces of plastic from the suspect vehicle — that it appears whoever struck the creche actually sustained more monetary damage to the vehicle than the manger.